Beirut Artistfacts

2006-
Zach СondonVocals, trumpet, flugelhorn, ukulele
Perrin CloutierAccordion, cello
Nick PetreeDrums, percussion, melodica
Paul CollinsElectric bass, upright bass
Kelly PrattTrumpet, French horn, glockenspiel
Ben LanzTrombone/tuba
Beirut singer Zach Condon dropped out of school at age 16. He later enrolled in community college but dropped out again to travel Europe with his brother. His love for European and world music helped to shape Beirut's unique sound.
Zach Condon was a straight-A student growing up until his sophomore year in high school. Condon lost his focus and began skipping classes three times a week. He also handed in fake papers copied from the internet until he eventually just dropped out of school at 16.
Beirut singer Zach Condon likes to collaborate with other like-minded artists. He appears on the first and last tracks on Grizzly Bear's Friend EP. He also appears on Blondie's 2011 album Panic of Girls.
When he was 14, Beirut singer Zach Condon fell off a bridge and broke his arm. At 17, he had surgery to repair the injury, but now his left wrist is an inch and a half shorter than his right one. Since Condon used to finger the guitar with his left hand, he's no longer able to play the instrument because he can't wrap his left wrist around the fret board without feeling immense pain.
Zach Condon says he listens to a lot of electronic music. When he was 15, Boards of Canada were one of his favorite bands. Artists like Casino Vs. Japan and Aphex Twin also make it onto his iPod playlist.
Zach Condon never writes or records music in his house in Brooklyn. Condon says he needs to get outside to work, so he'll often rent a studio or go back to his home state of New Mexico to create new songs. Once he rented a farmhouse two hours north of New York City just so he could leave Brooklyn to write music.
Beirut singer Zach Condon's dream vacation is on the beach. While visiting Morocco, Condon once spent 8 hours in the water in a lagoon. He says it was "one of the happiest days of his life" and that he uses the beach as a place to unwind and deal with stress.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

More Songfacts:

Bad RomanceLady Gaga

Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" includes both gibberish ("Roma Roma-ma") and French ("Je veux ton amour et je veux ta revanche") in the lyrics. The French part translates to: "I want your love and I want your revenge."

(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The BayOtis Redding

Otis Redding often ad-libbed vocals at the end of songs, but for "(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay" he just whistled instead - it became some of the most famous whistling in song history.

Feel It StillPortugal. The Man

"Feel It Still" by Portugal. The Man deals with lead singer John Gourley becoming a "rebel just for kicks" after having a daughter and settling down. "It's hard to be a punk when you're thinking about your baby daughter at home," he says.

Only The Good Die YoungBilly Joel

"Virginia" in "Only The Good Die Young" is named after a real girl Billy Joel was trying to impress.

AbracadabraSteve Miller Band

The Steve Miller song "Abracadabra" was inspired by Diana Ross and The Supremes. Miller first met the girl group when they performed together on NBC's Hullabaloo in 1966, and he wrote the lyrics after spotting Diana Ross skiing years later.

9 to 5Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton wrote her #1 hit "9 to 5" for the 1980 movie she starred in as a secretary. The film is a comedy and the song has a lighthearted feel, but the message of gender discrimination in the office was very real. Both the song and movie helped bring the issue to the fore.